A Powerful Conversation on Chicago’s Street Outreach You Need to Hear
A new episode of the Healthy Chicago Podcast is making waves — and for good reason. This 30-minute conversation is one of the clearest, most honest windows into the reality of street outreach, a cornerstone of Chicago’s community violence intervention (CVI) strategy.
The episode features two leaders who began their journeys on the front lines:
Sam Castro, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
Elvis Ortega, Street Outreach Lead at the Community Safety Coordination Center and the Mayor's Office of Community Safety
Both are former outreach workers who now help shape the city’s CVI landscape. Their conversation is candid, grounded in lived experience, and full of insight into what makes street outreach not just important — but essential.
What the Episode Covers
Castro and Ortega open up about:
A street outreach worker’s “license to operate”
How exposure outings shift participants’ worldviews
The professionalization of the CVI field
Healing from trauma and supporting frontline workers
The unique ability of outreach workers to reach individuals at the highest risk of gun violence
Their reflections underscore a powerful truth: former drivers of violence have become some of the most effective agents for peace. Working with residents, community groups, and law enforcement, outreach workers are helping reshape safety in neighborhoods long impacted by gun violence.
A Conversation Everyone Should Hear
The episode is under 30 minutes — perfect for a lunch break, your commute home, or even while prepping dinner.
More importantly: share it.
Send it to anyone curious about street outreach, skeptical about CVI, or unfamiliar with the work happening across Chicago to prevent violence before it occurs.
As Sam Castro reminds us:
“We need everybody. We can’t do this alone.”
Ending gun violence is a shared responsibility. Listening — and sharing — is a powerful first step.
Choose Peace.
Watch the episode here:
Healthy Chicago Podcast – Sam Castro & Elvis Ortega